A man from Blackburn, Ryan Briggs, recently shared his terrifying experience after suffering a severe allergic reaction to hair dye that left him resembling the animated character ‘Megamind’. What started as an innocent attempt to cover a few grey hairs quickly turned into a shocking ordeal that left his girlfriend “gobsmacked” and unable to even look at him. Ryan’s story is a cautionary tale about the potential dangers of hair dye and the importance of taking proper precautions.
A Routine Hair Dye Job Turns Dangerous
Ryan, 27, had simply wanted to cover up some grey hairs and visited his mother’s house, where she applied a black hair dye she had purchased. Initially, everything seemed fine, except for a slight burning sensation on his scalp, which Ryan dismissed as normal. However, the situation took a turn for the worse the following morning. He woke up with a scaly rash around his hairline, and throughout the day, his forehead swelled up dramatically, leaving him with what he described as a “balloon head.”
A Shocking Transformation
As Ryan’s condition worsened, he found himself unrecognizable, with his swollen forehead making him look like the character Megamind. “It was really badly itchy. I didn’t look like myself at all. It was horrible. It was massive,” Ryan recounted, reflecting on his shocking appearance. His girlfriend was so taken aback by his transformation that she couldn’t bring herself to look at him. The severity of his reaction was so alarming that Ryan was sent home from work and advised to seek medical attention, according to LADBible.
Hospitalization and Treatment
Ryan’s situation became so critical that he could only see out of one eye the next morning. He was rushed to the hospital by ambulance, where doctors diagnosed him with an allergic reaction to paraphenylenediamine (PPD), a common chemical in hair dyes. To reduce the swelling, Ryan was put on a heavy regimen of 25 tablets a day. Despite spending 13 hours in the hospital, Ryan had to return home without the necessary medication due to a lack of stock, leaving his girlfriend to retrieve the tablets for him from the pharmacy.
The Importance of Patch Testing
Reflecting on his ordeal, Ryan emphasized the importance of patch testing before using hair dye. The NHS advises this as a crucial step, even if you are using a brand you’ve used before. Unfortunately, Ryan had skipped this step, unaware of the potential consequences. “Always do a patch test. It could have been worse,” he warned, noting that the swelling had started to spread towards his neck, which could have led to life-threatening complications.
A Painful Recovery and a Cautionary Tale
Although Ryan is now on the mend, he’s been left with yellow and green scabs across his scalp. He’s grateful that the worst is over, but his experience serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with hair dye. “I’m glad it’s over now but definitely do a patch test, one million percent,” he urged others, hoping that his painful experience will prevent others from going through the same ordeal.
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